Multiple Iranian and Iraqi News Sites Seized by US DOJ and FBI

I already cited Reporters Sans Frontiers take on Iran media - it's among the most repressive in the world. But what does the foremost international watchdog on the freedom of the press have to do with freedom of the press.

Guess that isn't nuanced enough for you - or you just aren't willing to admit you are wrong.

Hopefully you will process that information for later integration into your worldview.

You mean the ones that the media of my culture - and yours - put forward.

We wouldn't know the ones that are put forward by Iran's media. They'd be put in jail if they attempted to do so. Some of them have been executed for it.

https://apnews.com/article/middle-east-iran-journalists-espionage-151ce445a43f3e99a2e086b895ca5588

Indeed. Yet you proferred they had more media freedom than us due to your complete ignorance of the subject matter.

As to their reasoning, no one here will have that definitively, as you well know, not being members of the DOJ. I put forth my suspected beliefs, and yes, some of them are political. Must be a day ending in y.

No.

Read posts fully.

Please.

I'm not the first one to tell you this and I won't be the last. Read what you're arguing against before you jump off the deep end only to have to wind it in yet again when the penny drops. You're an intelligent poster but you perpetually skim read and respond to your expectations rather than what was actually written.

I said I have no idea about censorship in Iran.

Amaris stated they allow BBC.

I accepted this at face value.

Numerous people corrected it. (Crucually this was the bit where you posted the link)

I accepted the correction.

Simples.

You stated that Iran has a freer media than the US, then doubled down by saying that you were unable to discern between legitimate media and theocratic state run media. That was literally what I just responded to.

But then you went further and accused me of bias in presuming that I could distinguish between the two, and that this must be based on cultural prejudice.

You expect a thank you and well done for that?

I agree you are an intelligent poster as well, but these are exceptionally weak arguments when I already proferred expert sources that disagreed with you.

Physician, heal thyself - you should read, and attempt to understand, what I've written as well.

I clearly understand you were dead wrong in this particular exchange and then moved on to personal attack - and yes, that's what stating that I am unable to overcome my cultural bias is. As you well know.

Me, not a statist: "You okay?"

As to the Star Wars analogy, as limited as that might be.

The US isn't the Empire. We are the Old Republic right before it fell to Palpatine and Vader.

If we continue to fuck up, we become the Empire. And that's when Alderaan gets blown away.

What do you suppose is happening right now?

All it will take is a smarter trump.

Eh, we behave like an empire. We behave like *the* Empire with how we meddle to control the sovereignty of other nations. You're right, though, the analogy is a bit too limited. I think we just like Star Wars so we tried to make it fit.

Yes. It's why I often say that Biden is going to be our Paul von Hindenburg. The next Trump will be much worse, but will have the veneer of white civility that will draw people in.

That implies the smarter trump will be a Democrat. Not that I think a Democrat can't be as evil, I just think it will be more difficult to convince the party with the widest diversity that a single issue is the end all and be all of making America Great Again. Republicans have been planting these seeds for 2.5 decades. They are way ahead of Democrats on this.

Well, my point in my previous post is that the GOP is fascist, and the Democratic party enables fascists, either by mutual policy interest or through sheer incompetence. Paul von Hindenburg was what enabled Hitler to gain his foothold to power by appointing him Chancellor in 1933.

Oh, on an unrelated to this line of thought post, and somewhat related to the topic of Iran, the United States is refusing to send vaccines to Iran. Fortunately, Cuba is stepping up with their vaccine and one of my friends, who lives in Iran, will now be able to get the vaccine along with his mother.

You think Biden will willingly turn over complete control of the US? That's what Hindenburg did. He dissolved the Reichstag, suspended civil liberties, declared Hitler Chancellor, and then turned over emergency powers to him. And Hindenburg was trying to use the Nazis to support his own conservative party. No, that's not Biden at all. He may fail at stopping them, but he won't actively aid them.

Are you talking about Joe "We need a Republican Party. We need an opposition that's principled and strong" Biden?
Joe "let's keep Donald Trump's Intelligence Inspector General to oversee the intelligence community" Biden?

That Joe Biden?

I have to admit, the name did not ring a bell, so I had to google him. According to Wikipedia, Hindenburg appointed Hitler Chancellor. Palpatine was elected Chancellor. So, ... wait ... are we still doing the Star Wars analogy?

The US is sending 60 million doses worldwide, prioritizing those that a) need the help the most and b) want the help. India is going to get the lion's share.

And yes, this ties directly back into this thread, because Iran is one of the top countries for disinformation on the virus, and UN exports have stated that it is raging there and the death toll is 3-4 times higher than they've stated. Journalists and citizens have been thrown in jail for suggesting otherwise.

But you blame the US for not sending it to them, when they state they have it under control and may very well not distribute it, when other countries are begging for help.

This is why you and I almost always disagree.

Then we should be giving the doses to Doctors without Borders. Then the government can't stop them - can they? I really don't know how all that works.

Yes, a principled and strong Republican party would be a far better cry than the fascist one that we have now. It is the end goal, not one party rule.

And while I don't know why Biden chose to keep Monheim, I do know quite a few Trump appointees refused to bend to his will, and that current DNI Avril Haines approves of the move saying Monheim has the utmost professionalism and integrity. And Haines has bonafides. 'She is the first woman to serve in this role. (DNI) Haines previously served as Deputy National Security Advisor and Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the Obama administration; the first woman to hold this position. Prior to her appointment to the CIA, she served as Deputy Counsel to the President for National Security Affairs in the Office of White House Counsel.

So barring any reason to think the sky is falling, I don't presume to know more about this than I do. It certainly isn't the first step of a Trump overthrow of the US government. Hell, we are already several steps down that route, and Monheim did nothing to make anyone think he wasn't fulfilling his office.

Yes, because you tend to believe the US government when they say these things, while I don't, because the US government has a vested interest in maintaining a specific narrative. You do realize part of the reason they're suffering is because the US has imposed economic sanctions on Iran, right? Banks, construction, anything they deem associated with terrorism. That goes back to the whole "Empire" thing where the US tells other nations they can't trade with Iran otherwise they lose business with the US, and then there's where the US has been seizing Iranian cargo ships. How can Iran put money into a vaccine if they're being crushed by the US? Also, Iran has been vaccinating its people as fast as it can with its limited resources:

https://iranintl.com/en/iran-in-brief/iran-offers-domestic-vaccines-public-third-phase-tests

I never said Trump was going to overthrow anything, and again, you put trust in agencies that I don't, because I've seen what they do to people like Edward Snowden and Julian Assange.

Also, we don't need a strong, principled Republican party because their principles are based on the oppression of others. So no. Just because white, rich, straight Joe Biden wants someone to clash swords with doesn't mean those of us who the Republicans would crush want them around. Hell no. Let Joe Biden be his own Republican party if he so wants, fuck the Republican party.

Of course they can. They can expel the organization, or they can arrest its members. This is an authoritarian theocratic regime - they will do whatever the Supreme Ayatollah commands.

They outright murder political dissidents and writers critical of the theocracy.

Cuba has a great medical care system, amazing for its size and place in the world.

A quick look shows that 1 of their 2 major vaccines achieved a 92.8% efficacy. Let's hope that's true.

They didn't want outside vaccines. I have not heard of any request by Iran for western vaccines. They want their own source, and if they are successful, good for them.

They've been getting vaccines from AztraZeneca based in Italy, through UNICEF and the WHO.

Yes, Iran is a well known exporter of terrorism, according to well... everybody. But then, you never care about that, only what the US does.

And yes, the US has the right to trade with whomever they want to. Why wouldn't they?

Iran, Cuba and Venezuela have teamed up for vaccines. Other countries may want to purchase these as well. "

If the US impounds or sinks those vaccines, then get back to me.

The fact that Iran is lying to their own people about their own safety only increases the body count.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-53598965

I am fully aware and understand the political situation in Iran. I was asking specifically about Doctors without Borders.

So why are you blaming the US for giving them to countries that have actually asked for our help?

Oh, right, the US is evil because we don't force our vaccines on countries that have stated they are developing their own and have other sources.

Just a ridiculous take, but then, at least you are consistent.

I didn't. I blame them for putting economic sanctions on Iran in the midst of a pandemic, and then refusing to even ask.

The US is evil, yes, and it's not our vaccines we force on developing nations.

I am consistent in my takes against imperialism, we just differ on whether or not it's ridiculous to believe the US is the bad faith actor here.

I had already overtly accepted the error about Iranian censorship before you posted your link.

Several others pointed it out.

For some reason though only you failed to acknowledge this acceptance.

And yes, I do believe that your distinction between legitimate news and state run media is based in cultural preconception.

The US is an exporter of terror, too, it's just the white folks don't have to see it. I care about what the US does because I live here. I have to be a part of this rotting corpse of an empire.

The US has the right to withhold lifesaving vaccines if they want. Why wouldn't they?

Nice way of framing it as trade, though.

Oh, and Iran was asking for help months ago, and as recently as this month:
https://iranwire.com/en/special-features/9677
https://iranintl.com/en/iran-in-bri...anizations-provide-vaccines-foreign-nationals

They've since run out in many places:
https://iranintl.com/en/iran-in-brief/several-cities-iran-run-out-covid-vaccines

I will remind you again that we caused the antipathy in Iran. They sure as shit don't hate us because of our freedoms.
I will also remind you that we are best buddies with Saudi Arabia, a seriously oppressive country, and their ruler had a Washington Post journalist murdered for speaking out against the Crown Prince , and we just swept it under the rug, so why are we friends? Oh, hey, the US had corporate ties to the people who murdered Jamal Kashoggi, and those murderers had received US paramilitary training. Now that doesn't sound like us. The US would never just do something like that. Not us. Could you imagine if we just went into Middle Eastern countries and murdered people to build corporate ties with friendly governments? Shocking.

Exporter of terrorism? Shit, they don't have anything on us.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...akistan-middle-east-afghanistan-a7534851.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civilian_casualties_from_U.S._drone_strikes

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_involvement_in_regime_change

So only let you know when the US impounds or sinks vaccines, and not oil, or other cargo supplies on Iranian ships the US does NOT have jurisdiction over and yet seizes anyway. Got it.

That article is from August of 2020. What was going on in the US in August of 2020?

It’s most certainly not nearly the same. Evangelicals do not have ultimate authority over the President.

Nehemiah Scudder disagrees!